The Washington critic., 1887-05-31
THE NATIoNALpHILL.

IbE NaIIpNAl Ii DlNtLL.
The National Drill closed yesterday.
1t has been a season of interest and en-
joymcnt TO the visiting companies,
and, in a military point of view, a
notable success. 1t will he said that
there should have been much larger
attendance, both of soldiers and
strangers from abroad. This would
doubtless have been the case had the
affair been more widely and con.
spicuously advertised abroad But Il
was a novel aud hnzlidou. undertaking
at best, and all llius- considered, the
first venture has been crcdittblG to
every one concerned. None but the
immediate munasc's fully unlsr,tlud
the labor involved grj he harls,ing
obstacles that hi r'1. overcome, Hnj
they are rather To hc commended frr
the praiseworihy Succrss,s 81 the alttir
than criticised fot No., uiopr failures
They pat up their mon'y ou tue ca.
terprise freely, exhibiting Ia this re.
spoct u public spiritednpss worthy Of
all honor, and from the very beginning
have laborcl night and day, against
multitude of trying and unforeseen Gu.
barrassmcnts, TO make the occasion
memorable and merit1rious. In this
they have succeeded. Had 1t no:
been for lie uppropiiious weather
of several successive days and even
ings, the books would show large
credit balance.
We might go on and suggest that
Ii the Drill had been advertised
throughout the country, from Maine to
California and Oregon 10 Florida, as
Barnum would have done with 1t, the
attendance would have been much
greater.
Could the various railroad compa.
nies have been persuaded into taking
more lively interest in the matter and
co.operated with the managers, instead
of pleading the Interstate Commerce
law, which is really no bar to such
rates as they might have chosen to give,
far greater popular interest might
have been awakened.
If the proposed carnival could have
been arranged for the last night there
would have been an immense influx of
sight.seers, and the Drill ground yes
terday would scarcely have accommo.
dated the crowd.
But there is no particular use now in
speculating as 10 what might have
been, excepting tha! It l; well TO pick
up hints for future use iu case the
DILL is TO be made permanent annual
exposition Of our military strength and
efficiency.
The first step has been taken. 1t
was a bold one, and considering all the
circumstances, the Subscribers will be
lucky If not assessed for any more than
the amounts they have already paid In.
THE War Department officials arc
very much stirred up on account of the
Supreme Court decision restoring GEN
eral Ben. p, Runkle lmajor retired) to
the army, They will not accept the
decision as applying to any Of the other
officers dropped in 1884 for the same
cause. General Runkle's claim was
based on the fact that while General
Belknap, as Secretary of War, pro-
mulgatcd an order announcing his dis
missal under sentence of a general
court.martial, and stating therein that
the President (GranO had approved the
findings and sentence, President
Grants signature does not appear in
any Endorsement on the papers. 1t
was, and still is, claimed by the War
Department that the announcement by
the Secretary of War, as the immediate
adjutant Of the President, is sufficient
in such cases. In this the Department
differs from the Supreme Court, and
the other officers who are in the same
box with General Runkle must fight
their own way seyeraily for justice
as Dom Platt's nephew has done.
ACCORDING TO the newspapers, the
age Of Senator.elect Samuel Pasco is
an indeterminate quantity, ranging
from 3s to 49, He was born in London
England, in 1884, and, coming to this
country when boy, graduated at Har
ward In 1858. He was private soldier
In the Confederate army, but will moi
be the only X.Confederate of that rank
in the United States Senate, as the
newspapers have further stated, Sen
ator Jones OF Arkansas enjoys similar
distinction.
THE statement rDiuI the rounds OF
the press that General Roger \. Pryol
desires TO return 10 Congress Is no
true. lie has been several lines ten
dered a nomination aud as often de
clined It, He has practice wortl
probably five times the salary Of
Congressman, and large family Oh
which he spends money freely II
would scarcely give up his profession
for the wear and tear ot political If
on even terms-certMnly not at o pc
cuniary loss
GovEREoR Hill Of New York ha,
38s bills before him when the Leglsla
ture adjourned, which were to beactc
on in thirty days or by June %. Sucl
MS he does not desire to become laws h
will simply omit to sign. But he evl
IDENTIFY has his hands full for tho neS
three weeks, for he Is quite as close
TT g 1,atat.tg.y, III 1.